I admit, this picture is more than a week old, but I haven’t had a lot of time to work on the layout, or take pictures.  I’m posting this just to demonstrate that I do work on the layout from time to time, mainly to give my brain a break. I don’t want any comments on that!

Anyway, I’ve been working all over the layout from Derwin’s Drop to Chappellton lately.  I’ll concentrate on the mine area in Derwin’s Drop in this post.  As you can see in the photo I have created a bit of a hill with one of the mine structures (I’ll call it the “Head Building”) built into it.  I had a few stone retaining wall castings on hand that I decided to use around the building.

There will be an access road in front of the head building to the tipple. I’ll need to build a platform and add some steps to get to the door in the side of that building. I hope to be able to put a couple company houses in the area to the right of the head building.  I also hope that I can add a realistic conveyor from the head building to the tipple (it’ll be curved so can that be realistic?).  It will require lots of wood supports and should make an interesting addition to the mine complex.

There’s still some plaster work left to do around the smaller structure before I can get on with painting and scenery.  I’ll have an update on this area in a week or so.

Scott

Here are some pictures to prove I have been working on the layout.  They aren’t dramatic changes, but change is change.

One of the last areas of Derwin’s Drop to be finished is the mine.  I’ve started by layering foam to create the base of a mountain.  The rest of the mountain will be painted on the backdrop.  I’m not sure who will paint it, or when.

The next step will be to carve the foam mountain to create rock details and then cover it with plaster and maybe a few rock castings.  The final bits will be coloring, grass, trees (of course) and other various details that would be found around a mine.

I know once I get into working on this area in earnest it won’t take long to finish.  So stay tuned!

This engine shed is a structure I made for our 5th Street Industrial District modules for the UMG.  Rather than put the structure in a box between shows I decided I could put it to good use as the engine shed for the service track in Derwin’s Drop.

I decided I wanted the back of the shed to look unkempt and wild so I added several different types of shrubs and bushes.  I used lichen, foliage clumps, and polyfiber coated with ground foam to make this area look “wild”.  A scattering of junk later will further add to the untidy look.

You get a different perspective of the back of the shed in this photo. The area in the foreground is not intended to look like cut rock.  It is where the lift out is placed to cross the great divide of the doorway.

With Chemical Hazards in front of the shed it is difficult to get a natural angle when photographing it.  There are too many things in the way.  My little photographer will have to climb a tree later to get a bird’s eye view of the scene.

Well, that’s it for this update.  I’ve been working in other areas of the layout as well and I’ll have an update on that soon.  I never really know what I am going to work on when I first enter the layout room.  I intend to do one thing but usually end up working on something else.

’til next time!

Scott

I took advantage of the weather and Kim’s work schedule to do some more work in Derwin’s Drop over the weekend. I was also able to get some photos for future articles at the Scratchbuilder’s Guild. I’m pleased to say that I’m about half done of the basic scenery in Derwin’s Drop now. I’m still not certain what to do with the mine area, but I’m sure something inspiring will happen in the next little while.

Here are some pictures I took last Sunday evening of my weekend’s work…

This is an overall view of the town looking west. From left to right is the Freight Shed, Standard Electric with the mine behind and a cabin in front, and Chemical Hazards on the far right. There are a couple vacant lots that are calling out for buildings but I have no idea what to put there yet. There will be a train station behind the Freight Shed some day.

So, here are a couple closer shots of the Freight Shed. It looks like it’s getting close to the end of the work day and the guys are taking a break before heading home for the day. They had a long day of loading and unloading “stuff”. Their beds will feel good tonight.

Chet, the night watchman is just coming on duty.

The mail man is doing his rounds a little late today. Fred and Bill haven’t seen each other in a while and are catching up outside. Standard Electric used to manufacture electrical components for the housing industry, but have fallen on hard times lately. Allan Lectric, the owner, hasn’t made up his mind whether he wants to “go big or stay home”.

Chemical Hazards can be a very dangerous place to work. They don’t seem to care about regulations. We can see how they get away with it. Clayton, the Plant Manager, is greeting the inspector from Environment Canada, Bernie McBribe. I’m sure there’s a big bag of cash and a bottle of Clayton’s “Special Blend” inside somewhere.

You wouldn’t even have to go inside the gate to know that this place would not pass an Environmental Assessment. There’s nothing left alive inside the fence!

Drums of “God only knows what” are scattered everywhere. It’s a wonder these guys are still alive! I’d really hate to see what their kids look like!

Old Bentnose Willie is taking his life in his hands living so close to Chemical Hazards! There’s only a scraggly fence between him and an uncertain future. It’s a good thing his nose is so bent that no woman would ever have him. Think of what their kids would be like after years of ingesting that ground water!

Well, that’ll be it for scenery updates for this week, I think. I have to get the layout into operational condition for the visit by the Moncton guys. After a few weeks of scenery work that’s going to take a while! Plus I need to work out an operations scheme for the biggest crew I’ve ever had on the BS&T!

Later!

Scott